Stupidest Crimes: Burglar Flees Home, Leaves Cell Phone Charging

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Every time I post the latest “Stupid Burglar” story, thinking we may have reached a new high (or low!) in the realm of criminal intelligence, another good one comes along. Those burglars leaving tracks in the snow for police to follow were clearly not on their game, but this report from Maryland is also a strong contender.

Police in Maryland arrested a Silver Springs man after finding his cell phone – charging, no less – at the scene of a burglary. As a result of his blunder, Cody Wilkins has been linked to as many as ten other burglaries that occurred in eastern Montgomery County during a power outage which plagued the area for days.

Here’s What Happened

According to the arrest report, Wilkins was rummaging through a home Friday when the homeowner’s son appeared in the room and startled him. Wilkins jumped out a window and fled; however, he left behind a crucial piece of evidence – that charging cell phone, which police found during their search of the home. Detectives called one of the contacts in Wilkins’ phone and told the female who answered that the owner of the phone had been involved in an incident, and that they needed to know his name.

The female who answered was apparently Wilkins’ girlfriend, who is hopefully rethinking her taste in men. Once the authorities had Wilkins identity, and where he lived, the rest was good old fashioned police work.

What Else Police Found

Detectives went to Wilkins’ apartment where he was reportedly attempting to flush jewelry down his toilet. Using witness accounts, the evidence confiscated from his home, and tread marks left by his boots, police were able to link Wilkins to 10 other break-ins, says The Washington Post.

So much for Mr. Wilkins’ career as a burglar. It’s a pretty good bet that none of the eleven homes he broke into (at last count) had a monitored alarm system – otherwise he would have been frightened away, if not caught in the act (remember how easy it is to follow fresh tracks in the snow!).

As we’ve mentioned before, only one in four of five homes has a monitored home alarm system – and with a home somewhere in the US experiencing a break-in every fourteen seconds, the odds for success are heavily on the side of the burglar. It shouldn’t take Mr. Wilkins’ special brand of bungling to put him out of action: more homes need to step up to monitored protection that is safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable – and virtually impossible to defeat. That description happens to fit FrontPoint exactly – the nation’s leader for interactive, wireless home security. Bring on the burglars – even the smart ones.

Meet the Team

Katie has served in multiple roles in Frontpoint’s Customer Relations department, including serving as a mentor for new Customer Support Specialists, before joining the Reputation Team. She has a knack for explaining how to use a system without confusing even the biggest technology novice.

Peter has more than 20 years of home security experience; including leadership positions at some of the country’s most prominent alarm companies. He’s been sharing tips and industry knowledge on the company blog since 2010.

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